Movie Review: Exodus Decoded

Canadian documentary The Exodus Decoded was written,
directed, and hosted by Simcha Jacobovici (The Quest
for the Lost Tribes) and executive produced by James
Cameron (director of Titanic); it seeks to bring
archaeology, hieroglyphics, and science together
to give evidence to the Old Testament account of
the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt. Despite
the excellent research, hi-tech production values
and engaging flow, The Exodus Decoded is a mixed
bag of fact and fiction.

The reason is its undetectable blurring of hard evidence
and “scientific” explanations in dealing with the
biblical account of the Exodus. The hard evidence
comes in the form of archaeology – the evidence
that is presented is quite provocative, giving great
testimony to the biblical account of the Exodus.
These archaeological findings continue to
leave little doubt as to the validity of the Old
Testament account of the Exodus. This evidence leaves
the filmmakers (and their viewers) with the quandary
of what to do with such facts. Now they must
explain how all the amazing events surrounding the
Exodus happened and, of course, this is where they
depart from the biblical account. The underlying
attitude then goes something like this, “Surely
the ancient Egyptians and Israelites couldn’t understand
these events like we can.” Or could they?

This is where the line between fact and fiction
blurs. Jacobovici and crew make “scientific”
postulations surrounding such events as the plagues
and the parting of the Red Sea. Although it
seems that Jacobovici and Cameron are sincere in
their presentation and are not trying to take an
anti-biblical or anti-God approach, they nonetheless
“explain away” the facts of the Exodus as God merely
“manipulating nature” as opposed to these events
being truly supernatural.

Therein lies the danger. Archaeology only
gives further credence to the biblical account,
yet explanations are given under the heading of
science to explain to the contemporary viewer what
“really” happened. For example, the explanation
given for the water turning into blood (Exodus 7:14-25)
as being merely underground gases released into
the Nile, thus discoloring the water to look like
blood. This reduces the ancient Egyptians
(the makers of Pyramids, etc.) and Israelites to
superstitious fools who were not able to tell the
difference between blood and discolored water.

The most preposterous deduction comes in their
explanation of how the firstborn really died when
the Angel of Death exacted the tenth and final plague.
According to The Exodus Decoded, elevated sleeping
positions made the firstborn sons susceptible to
the noxious gases released when the water “turned
to blood.” This doesn’t account for how the
firstborn in dungeons and the firstborn among the
livestock were killed, too (Exodus 12:25-32). In
this explanation, not only do they take the Egyptians
and Israelites for fools, but their viewers as well.
If one is going to take the Bible at it’s
word – one has to take it all, and not just the
parts they want to believe.

The end result of “what really happened,”
according to The Exodus Decoded, ends up being more
ridiculous than the biblical explanation of an Almighty
God who actually could turn water into blood and
selectively kill the firstborn of whoever didn’t
put lamb’s blood above their doorways. Despite their
intentions, it is deceptive of the filmmakers to
explain away supernatural events of the Exodus by
putting the moniker of “science” on their explanations.
These explanations only leave more holes to
fill than taking the Bible at its Word.

It’s a shame that such a fine production as The
Exodus Decoded, with its excellent treatment of
archaeology, ends with such ridiculous conclusions
about how the events of the Exodus can really be
explained. Thus, I cannot recommend The Exodus
Decoded for the confusion that may result in the
filmmaker’s blending of fact (archaeology) and fiction
(explanations). – Todd Burgett